Blood Thicker Than Water

[Karuka]

Closed to Storm and Dissinger.

A medium-sized boat bobbed gently up and down in the morning waves just off the coast of Corone. Gulls keened and cried, seeking out any edible flotsam or unwise fish and squid who had yet to vanish back into the depths where they hid from the daylight. The sun eased its way over the eastern horizon, painting pinks and purples into the big, fluffy clouds. And just outside one of the passenger doors, a little girl stood knocking, thick black hair still impossibly wild and green grit still evident in the corners of her eyes.

"Mom! Mom! Wake up! I can see the city! We're almost there!"

Karuka groaned and burrowed her face into her pillow, hoping the vain hope of all exhausted parents that if she just tried to go back to sleep, her child would get the hint and go amuse herself. A renewed barrage at the door prompted a gentle but insistent rub from the warm hand that rested at the small of her back. Her kid, her problem.

"Taische, we're not due t' dock until almos' noon. It's barely dawn. Go back t' bed."

"But the sun is up! It's morning! Come oooonnnn!!"

Karuka sighed. It was one thing to have an energetic, healthy child. It was another to have one who rose with the sun, without fail, and knew just enough of how the world worked to get herself into trouble. She had Taodoine with her, and he would keep her out of anything lethal, but... if she delayed getting up too long, there would be a merciful, prolonged silence, followed by a quiet, damning "oops."

"It's like she thinks we're morning people," murmured a sleepy voice from behind her.

"I am a mornin' person, when y' don't have me up half th' night." She reached out, half-heartedly seeking her clothes.

A dry chuckle answered her complaint. "If I kept you up later, you'd still be a morning person."

"Yer an evil man." Karuka gave her lover a quick kiss and pulled herself from the all-consuming warmth of the blankets. Better to get up before her daughter got too bored; Taische was as much an O'Sheean as she was, and that meant that if nothing interesting was happening, she'd make it happen.

A few minutes after the unwelcome wakeup, Karuka stepped into the balmy salt air, ready to begin the day.

[Storm Veritas]

It never ceased to amaze him how quickly he could be spoiled and softened by the creature comforts of the modern world. A firm, straight bed, a soft, airy pillow, and cool, crisp sheets felt like old news; he allowed himself to feel short-changed on merely six hours sleep. Was it possible that three weeks ago, he was sleeping on a thicket of wet grass, hoping he wouldn’t die of internal hemorrhaging as he closed his eyes at night?

A million years ago. Two more nights and I’ll be able to retake a home in Radasanth. Eight-hundred thread count silk sheets, aged, lavish whiskey, and a warm fireplace filled with cedar and pine. This will feel like peasant shit again, as well it should.

His company certainly felt first-class. Storm Veritas had grown closer in his travels to Karuka and Taische than he’d ever have dared to dream. Too close, he considered, as his misdeeds fell on them without much hesitation or fear. When O’Sheean had learned of what he’d done to the trader on the docks of Talmaidh, he was stunned that she would accept him for what he really was.

Whatever that may be.

He sat up, rubbing his fingers over his stomach. His wound was fully healed now, and with remarkable speed. Her magic had fixed his ribs, stomach, and lungs, but his scars would remain as an absent itch through the end of his days.

“No land in sight, my adorable little swamp-rat. I know we’re going to hit shore today, but no sure what you think getting up so early will do for us.”

He stood on the deck beside little Taische, ruffling his hand through her hair gently. She returned a somewhat defiant glare; she certainly didn’t seem to appreciate the sobering news that there was more time left on the boat.

His heels clicked on the creaky beams as he strolled to the aft, untying his drawstring as he talked to discern distance. He began to empty his bladder in the sea, imagining that the force generated from a few tall glasses of rum were providing propulsion for the schooner.

“Last day on the sea either way, might as well make use of it. No reason to bring home extra fruits or salt-fish; why don’t you prep a couple plates and we’ll have breakfast?”

The sun was gently warming, and the air was light, leaving a tiny glaze of salty sheen on the travelers’ faces. That absurd fire-bird flapped wildly about the side of the ship, eyeing a fresh meal near the surface as they made headway towards Corone.

It was a calm, pleasant morning, and Storm did his very best to savor it, knowing there was more heavy lifting left to do once they made for shore. He had all but conquered Radasanth before, but that was a lifetime ago. Now, there would certainly be some old misdeeds that would warrant reckoning once they made landfall.

[Karuka]

It only took a few moments to gather enough food for the three of them, and Taische sat on one of crates neatly tucked on the deck with a pair of apples. Idle flames licked at each fruit, roasting them from the inside to soften them up and bring out their natural sweetness. Plucked well before ripeness so they'd last the voyage, the ship's fruit tended to be tart, and the little girl hadn't yet grown into an appreciation for sour flavors. When she deemed them done, she handed one fruit off to her mother and bit into the other one. When her uncle reached for it, messing with her, she let off a little lightning bolt at him, but it was more sound than fury.

"What's going to happen when we dock?"

Karuka popped her spine, handing Storm half of the other roasted apple and warding a dripping Taodoine away with her foot. The phoenix had found his own prize, but fresh, flopping fish and reeking raptor weren't welcome scents at the humble breakfast they'd begun. For his part, Taodoine just looked a little perplexed and ripped a bite out of his prey, hopping over to Taische to offer it to her.

"No, Ta. I have breakfast."

"Y' thought it was funny when he'd try t' feed y' when y' were a baby. Y' were both a lot smaller, then." A bit of a grin touched Karu's face; that had made for a couple of years where she had mess on the bird, mess on the child, mess on the floor, mess on the counters, mess on the ceiling, somehow... and somehow it had been absolutely adorable.

Wormwood an' rue. I need to find some of that. There's not any way I'm havin' another infant now.

The redhead took a bite of her apple, swallowing before answering Taische's question. "Yer Uncle T'viri should be waitin' fer us at th' docks. I've got some business in Underwood that'll be a bit dangerous, so he'll bring y' along behind. That way I won't worry about if yer safe or not, an' th' two of y' will have some fun." Fun meaning that Taviri Ambria was one of a handful of people patient and reasonable enough to deal with an O'Sheean child.

"An' I think yer Uncle Storm has some business in Radasanth, but I'm going t' see if he wants t' come t' Underwood with me. If it's not terribly urgent." She gave him a look over her daughter's head, trying to gauge his thoughts. Would he so easily let her get away from him this time?

He didn't get a chance to answer her, because another ship appeared on the horizon - a galleon, bearing the standards of the Coronian Navy. Taische bounced up, breakfast forgotten save for what was in her hand. "That's a huge ship!" She raced off, forcing her mother to follow behind, lest the nine-year-old, unaware that she was mortal, clamber over the side of the vessel they were riding for a better look at the bigger boat.


~*~*~

A few hours later, three travelers walked down the gangplank. The woman and girl were wearing boots for once, not wishing to meet the city's cobblestones barefoot. A sandy blond priest in rough robes waited for them, smiling warmly. He met Karuka with a warm embrace and plopped his hat onto Taische's head. Despite the obvious size difference between grown man and little girl, the sheer volume of Taische's hair almost had it sitting right.

Karuka offered Taviri some money for the care and feeding of her daughter, but was firmly refused. The O'Sheeans and Ambrias were family by stronger bonds than blood; he could take care of her daughter for a couple of days. So she just kissed Tav on the cheek and bent down to Taische.

"D' y' want t' take Tao, or d' y' think y'll be all right without 'im fer a couple of days?"

The child frowned, thinking that over. She slept with Taodoine beside her; his wing was to her what a favorite old blanket was to many other children her age. But...

"No. He won't listen to Uncle Tav and he doesn't always listen to me. He should go with you because he listens."

"That's 'cause I'm th' mom. BÃ* cróga. BÃ* ciallmhar. A bheith go maith." Be brave. Be wise. Be good.

"Beidh mé."

Karuka kissed Taische's forehead and let her hug Storm goodbye. In the brief moment it took for the raven-haired man and child to embrace, the priest put his hand on Karuka's forehead and murmured a prayer for her, wishing her protection from evil. Greeting and parting rituals taken care of, Taviri took his niece's hand and started walking deeper into Radasanth with her.

Visible pain crossed Karuka's face at her daughter's receding figure. She knew her child was in good hands and would have fun, but separation was hard. She only let herself watch for a moment before turning to the slender mage at her side.

"Is this where we part ways, or are y' comin' with me?"

[Storm Veritas]

The docks were a welcome sight; some engineering and forethought had actually gone into the building of this port. Stanchions and pylons were logically deployed, beams and board showed the rainbow-dyed image of regular replacement. This was an actual city they were arriving near, and the quality of life, luxuries of common existence were a world away from the carnage of Dheathain which he happily left behind.

Even the air is richer here… give me the warm air and salty breeze against the musty blanket of that shithole.

What he had brought back with him was ironically that which he cared about more than anything here in the civilized world. Karuka, and her lovely girl Taische, and that wonderful, awful bird had shown him genuine affection, saved him, and welcomed him to their journey. They were –special-, and there would be no place for them with what he had to do now.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to part paths for a bit, sugar.” A half smile was forced upon his face, but he knew that she’d see right through it. “I don’t think it will take more than a few days, but it won’t be pleasant work.” His whispered tone was not audible to young Taische, who he embraced with a tender strength.

He didn’t have ample words for the mother and daughter that would suffice, given the magnitude of kindnesses they had offered. Instead, he squatted and took Taische’s hand, noticing how stoic she remained in the face of a parting that would make most little girls bawl. A genuine smile finally came form him as he placed two small, beautiful golden coins in her hand.

“Tell you what, honey…” his whisper was now directed only at Taische, with a nod and wink from her caretaker. “When you get into Radasanth, look for the place called ‘Chapman’s Candy’. It’s a small shoppe with a little red and white striped awning, right on main street. These two coins will get you a nice fried bread, with sugar and cinnamon sprinkles, your uncle’s treat!”

He stood to kiss Karuka once more when light dawned on marble head. Immediately, he dropped to squat aside the girl once more, finishing his clearly incomplete thought.

“But DON’T tell Chapman that it was ‘Uncle Storm’ that sent you there.”

Karuka’s eyes seemed to roll to the back of her head as he stood to kiss her once more, laughing at his mischievous conversation with the wonderful young lady. She was correct in assuming that she did not want the details of this particular rivalry. A quick kiss and a few words were exchanged; they had left no feelings to the imagination on any night of their long sail.

“A few days, and I’ll find you. Don’t worry; there aren’t enough redheads with an ass like that in town for you to go unnoticed.”

He laughed at how hilarious he found himself as he turned to town. He’d no doubt feel O’Sheean’s glare through the back of his tunic, which reminded him of his needs quite clearly. Stepping off the docks into the clean, well-worn road, Storm fixed his eyes up ahead, several hundred yard before him the single road was abutted by a large stable. There were a lot of stables on Corone, and he had no doubt that one of them housed mighty Attilla.

[Karuka]

Karuka sighed as Storm vanished into the busy midday crowds. This was absolutely typical of him, and she should have expected it. Can't think why I thought he'd actually come with me.

In Fallien, the first time they'd met, he'd invited her to travel with him from Kithdir to Irrakam, then sent her off with only a few miles left to their destination. He'd hunted her back down later that evening, which they'd spent together. The second time they'd met, in a massive Citadel battle, he'd tried to protect her, accidentally killed her, and jumped off to his own death. She'd awakened in the monks' restoration chambers with him right at her side. He'd left her again, but found her when she was trying to decide on a place to rest for the night. She'd stayed with him, then they'd parted a couple of days later. He had his path to walk, she had hers.

Finally, in Dheathian, so recently she could just about count the days on her fingers and toes, she and her daughter had stumbled upon him injured and infected at the edge of Fiorair. They'd healed him and fed him, and he'd left in the morning. When they were forcibly invited into the middle of a war, he'd turned back up to help in the fight, where he was once again greivously injured. They'd healed him, he'd taken a day just to rest with them, and had left on his path again.

He hadn't had a chance to leave them since they'd boarded the boat from Talmhaidh to Radasanth. Storm cared for her and Taische, Karuka knew. He probably cared more than he really understood what to do with, and he probably needed the distance. Of course, he was probably justifying to himself that she - a fifth generation clairvoyant - had no idea just who he was and what he was guilty of. He thought he was leaving for her sake, and for Taische's.

She knew. She also knew who he could be. And despite who he'd been, despite the hard shell he'd built to push everyone away, she loved him for the man behind the shell, the man who could sacrifice everything in an instant because it might mean the safety of one redheaded woman and one adorable little girl.

"One day, Storm, yer gonna choose t' stay, an' it'll shock th' hell out of me." Still, for once he had promised to find her again. It was a step.

She turned to her familiar, who was perched on a rail. "C'mon, Taodoine. Let's go get a horse. We've gotta go hunt down that idiot what couldn't jus' stay in th' ground."

[Storm Veritas]

It became immediately obvious to the rogue that he was an awfully long way from Radasanth. Despite the developed port he had sailed into, and knowledge that they had landed southeast of the mighty capitol city, Storm realized within ten minutes that the scope and size of mighty Corone had never dawned on him. The well-groomed cobblestone road gave way to a wide dirt path, which headed generally north.

Or at least I –think- it’s north. Shadows barely do shit at mid-day to help tell me where to go. We’re still on the top half of the world, so my shadow points mostly north, right?

When he came upon a barn on the shoulder of the road, he was more than happy to head in and find himself a ride. A tall, thick, beast of a man came forward from a stall as Storm announced himself, tossing a massive bale of hay towards the back of the stall as though it were cottoned-sugar candy. Massive hide coveralls stretched across a barrel chest and led to a golden-mop of hair that wildly covered a deeply browned skin. Big, dull, bright eyes seemed to glow out at the visitor without any particular focus. Smiling stupidly, he propped a huge pitchfork across his back in a manner that seemed both non-threatening and yet inherently dangerous.

“Well, ‘hoy there, frien! Whah can I do fer ya?”

Diplomacy was not lost on the traveler, and Storm stood tall to present an open hand. He still looked up at least six inches on the mountainous idiot. Storm estimated a fifty-percent chance that the big galoot would have horse-shit on the hand that enveloped his own long, slender fingers.

“Good afternoon! I’m not new to Corone, but spent my childhood in Radasanth. Does the main road here lead to town?” Storm kept his chin high, eyes wide, and smile bright. He was selling sunshine to this particular huckleberry.

“Eh, sure! Just a heck-ride befo’ yah! Ye’ve got maybe 3… 400 furlongs to town from here. Mebbe nah too bad if yer horse is well fed, I suppose.”

Storm found himself biting through his tongue at the words sent to him by the big, friendly mule of a man. This gentle fool could just as well be speaking the click-language of Dheath that Karu and Taische shared when they didn’t want him to understand.

What the f*ck is a furlong!? Is it about a yard? A mile? Don’t these people speak the proper goddamned tongue?! We’re trying to have a –SOCIETY- here!

Undeterred, Veritas simply kept his smiling front facing forward as he rolled with the absurd statement. He needed a horse, and this place would do. The smell of the barn was unmistakable, and that big cube of hay wasn’t tossed over to feed goats. Perhaps luck had found it’s way to the slender wizard.

“Sounds right, I should be fine with a good horse. Which one here can I buy from you? I’d be happy to rent one if you run an exchange with a barn closer to town.”

His voice didn’t jump or waver, and his fingertips pulled a handful of thin gold coins that he stacked in a tall pile upon a dirty wooden handrail. The bright blue eyes of the simpleton ranch-hand lit up at the sight of more gold than he’d likely ever seen before. While he nearly drooled at the beginning of an awkward, miserable conversation, Storm’s left hand snaked over the pommel of his small titanium dagger.

It wasn’t long before he emerged from the large double doors of the barn headed north, bouncing lightly atop the back of the clumsy brown beast. It was a calm enough horse, but seemed weak and timid – a far cry from his long lost Attila. A sinister smile crossed his face as Storm considered the absurdity of the exchange.

“Thankee-sir! Safe travels now!” There was a sweet sadness in the big fellow’s lack of awareness with how closely his light had come from being snuffed.

[Karuka]

The docks and business district of Jadet sprawled out like a flood plain. Tiny, winding footpaths emptied like estuaries into sequentially larger roads, almost all of which finally ended in main thoroughfares. Each of those main thoroughfares was packed like a river in spawning season; the crush of bodies made swift travel extremely difficult.

Karuka ended up trudging through the streets for a fifteen minutes before finding an apothecary who had the contraceptive herbs she required, then a further hour before she was out of the city and at a large farm. Sheep grazed sedately in a meadow, tended by a couple of indolent young men and a handful of fluffy sheep dogs. Cows lowed at each other in a large pasture, gazing longingly at the fields of waving wheat far beyond their grasp. A few horses chased each other around the stable yard, and on the far end of them, well away from the house, a lone stallion paraded in a small paddock.

He was massive; as tall as she was at the withers, and broad. His mane and tail flowed with every prancing step, sunlight gleamed off his blacker-than-night hide. He also had mud clinging to him and the half-open stall was piled high with long unmucked straw. It wasn't hard to see why; the horse's wild eyes and spirited movements spoke of an animal who had injured any who entered his domain without his consent. An animal who might even kill, given the chance.

One of the shepherds moseyed up to her with a dog. "Tha Beast's a beauty, miss, but you don't wanna be messing wif 'im. Broke my brother's arm th'other week, and not many's managed ta get outta his paddock wifout getting hurt. If you're here for a horse, miss, we gotta few you can buy. Good horses. Horses for a... lady."

Karuka had bent down in the dusty pathway to give the dog a scratch. He was brown and mottled blue with one white eye and one brown eye, and had a demeanor of goodwill toward all humans. She looked back up at the way the young man called her a lady, as if he wasn't quite sure what she really was. Part of her could admit that was a fair enough assessment; after all, she carried a weapon, walked with a giant bird of prey trailing behind her, and was visibly travel worn. Even so, the hesitant assessment rankled. Among her own tribe, she'd been more or less royalty. But that had been far away and long ago.

"That horse'll kill someone if he can't be handled. Is he fer sale at all?"

The boy shuffled his feet, kicking up dust. "Well...my da lets any'un what wants ta try pay fifty gold. If they can stay on tha Beast for a whole minute, they can have 'im. Lots've tried, miss. Some's even managed ta stay on his back a little bit. Not one's managed a minute. Only most of 'em's got out in just one piece."

Karuka stood slowly, to the consternation of the friendly sheepdog at her feet. "Getcher father. I'd like a go."

"But!"

The redhead pulled a small pouch from her belt, tossing it enough to make the coins jingle inside. "A lady's gold is ay as good as a man's, lad. Go getcher father. I'm gettin' on that horse."

A few minutes later, the fiery warrior woman had an apple, ten feet of rope, a horse brush, and a slender branch with some leaves still attached. Taodoine held Consequence at the fence, preening his feathers idly, though he did stop to hiss at a farmhand who reached to touch him. The Beast grazed at the other side of his paddock, absolutely ignoring the would-be intruder. He'd played this game before, and was determined to have fun with it. Why not? This one was smaller than the others.

The farmer leaned on a fence several feet back from the paddock that kept his prized but dangerous stud. Everything had been explained, she'd marked down some funny-looking scratches in the book, and now all that was left to do was watch her. They'd get her stuff if the Beast killed her, and if she could stay on the horse for more than a minute, she'd deserve him. He'd been on some mares that would be dropping colts soon enough anyway; they wouldn't need him for much longer.

"Shore you don't want a whip, miss? He won't even feel that twig ya got, there."

"I've never seen th' good of tryin' t' control a horse with a strip of dead cow. It's cruel, b'sides." With that, the latest fool to try taming the Beast hopped the fence, and then there was nothing between her and horse but naked distance.

The horse ignored her for a few more seconds, letting her stride toward him while he nosed something particularly interesting on the ground. He looked up almost casually when she was too far into his pen to outrun him back to the fence. Then he charged, head down and ears back. Clods of dirt flew beneath his huge hooves, and he descended on his target like black death.

"Hoigh!" Not only did the slender human not try to run from him, she stood her ground and swiped at him with a noisy green branch. He turned neatly, skidding to a halt and turning toward her, ears forward. He understood the whip, he understood the spurs, he understood the noose. He understood men who wanted to muscle him into submission. The female's relaxed, alert posture was altogether different.

He reared up, letting out an ear-splitting neigh and flailing his front hooves to show his power and dominance, tossing his mane and glaring at her when his feet planted back in the soft ground. Instead of flinching, she locked eyes with him. Something passed between them, a connection, an understanding, an old, old magic that dated from the first humans who tried their hands at taming wolves.

At the fence, the farmer's son stood straighter, brushing his hat back from his dark brown hair. "Da, this hasn't happened before."

Indeed it hadn't. Slowly, the horse's posture relaxed. His proud head lowered a little bit, and when he approached the woman again, he walked softly. When she held out a crisp apple, he took it from her hand instead of taking the hand as well, and even let her stroke his face.

"There y' go. I getcha. Y' take me where I need t' go, an' I'll help y' find yer rider. Hopefully b'fore my daughter decides that yer a good horse fer her t' ride." Horses weren't a common animal in Jalaan, so Taische had never ridden. Even if this horse was in a cooperative mood, which was far from guaranteed, he wouldn't be a good first horse for a very small, overly bold child.

Slowly, Karu introduced the brush to the horse, letting him smell it and feel it on his neck, then started brushing him down. "Bet that feels good, ay? Been a long time since y' been brushed. Oh, ay, there's a spot." She laughed. "Oh dear. Th' bird, th' cat, now you... what's Storm going t' say? Might as well get Taische a puppy while I'm at it."

The horse snorted and bobbed his head, agreeing more with her tone than with her words. She threw the brush to the fence when she was done with it, then held the rope up to the Beast's nose. She let him sniff it, then she rubbed it over his head, taking her time to let him be confident about it and understand her intentions. Then she tied it into a halter around his head and stroked down to his back, testing her weight.

He twitched, his ears went back, and she waited. When he relaxed again, she lifted herself onto his back. It was something like sitting on a slightly-slippery barrel, if that barrel had muscles that moved beneath flesh and fur. They waited together, beauty and Beast, for him to decide whether or not he'd accept her as a rider, then he started walking gently at a nudge of her heels.

The farmer's hands covered his face in utter disbelief. "I've seen it all! Of course the damn monster'ud tame out at the first sight of a pair of its!"

Karuka rolled her eyes and leaned forward to meet the horse's eye. "We're gettin' out of here, headin' fer th' settin' sun. Let's not call y' Beast, shall we? Let's call y'... Ceallach." The horse snorted his acceptance, and Karuka trotted him to the fence so she could reclaim her belongings and phoenix.

"Th' horse is mine, then, sir?"

The farmer waved his hands. "Take 'im. If you can control that devil horse, you're probably a devil yoursel'."

That assessment, Karuka had to admit, was also probably fair enough. With a nudge of her lower legs, she turned the horse west. Both hands gripped the luxurious mane, both legs clamped onto the muscular back, and both heels dug into the newly-renamed Ceallach's flanks. Thunder sounded beneath the massive hooves, a powerful leap flew them over the fence, and they were off, woman and horse.

[Storm Veritas]

The rhythmic clip-clop of his new, old mare’s hooves was slow, steady, and hypnotic. It had been a while since he last rode, and he felt every rock, dip, and bump in the road. He could feel saddle sores working their way up his inner thighs, where he had long lost his old callouses.

Lord, you scrawny shit of a horse. Must you step in EVERY hole in the road?

It wasn’t all the little horse’s fault; Storm hadn’t traveled far up the north path when he realized he had made a serious mistake. The entire concept of furlongs, for example, still completely evaded him. His earliest inclination was that it probably wasn’t too far; he was likely looking at ten or twenty miles based on that simpleton’s tone. Then again, since that big blonde buffoon was so simple, there was really no telling how long the road to Radasanth would stretch.

Within a few miles from the barn, the road had deteriorated to a worn path of dirt about the grass, which grew hip high ten feet from the path in either direction. The trees had seemingly disappeared altogether, and the sun had stretched magnificently high and strong above him. As the sun had grown tall, it had also gotten HOT. The weary magician wrapped his shirt about his head as he allowed the sun to beat upon his pale skin. With the heat and misdirection came a fair dip in morale.

Go back to town and buy a wagon escort. This open sun is for the goddamned birds.

A sneer; he laughed at himself a bit realizing how quickly he’d allowed himself to be softened by the luxuries of a smooth sailboat and some TLC from his favorite ladies. He wasn’t that hard up, after all.

Still, what’s your long plan? Head to Radasanth, hope no one took your old apartment… get some new clothes… set up shop… then go back and find the ladies?

Are you out of your f*cking mind? They aren’t walking!

These were thoughts that should have been considered BEFORE parting ways with the one he loved, although perhaps foolish spontaneity was a part of his charm. He also reasoned he was just an old fool that grossly underestimated the expanse of the land.

“Ho’. Hold up, old boy.” The horse heard his command and stopped the clip-clop stroll.

He loosened the reigns a bit as he looked to the west, where a break in the tall grasses led far and twisted towards what must be the heavily wooden area. If nothing else, a few trees popped from the horizon in that direction, offering some shade, or a place to sleep.

Storm pulled his flask, freshly topped off with a lightly-watered whiskey. Good for hydration and as a painkiller, he reasoned. The warm burn felt smooth and pleasant dancing in his mouth, and he took an extra long pull. For all of her charm, Taische had proven to be quite the buzz-kill, and he didn’t miss her now with the heavy handle of hooch.

He leaned hard to his left to reach the bigger bottle about the haunch of the horse, proffering some water to the horse. There was some food in there as well, but Storm decided best to wait.

“Let’s go, boy. Move well and you’ll rest longer tonight. Get us to that tree, at least.”

And so, Storm Veritas and his newly gained horse changed path, moving west under the high sun. It likely wouldn’t take more than a day or so to catch Karuka, even if she had a head start. He would keep his whiskey in hand, since there was nothing natural to him about being so closely exposed to nature.

Had he known Karuka had laid claim to his beloved Attila, he would have known how idiotic his presumptions had been.

[Dissinger]

“Can’t you just hide? Seems to be just like everything else you do nowadays…”

The words hung in the air as a stark accusation.

“Would you have me fight?”

“I would have you do something anything is better than this,” A hand gestured about the room. Rotted wood was the stench of the day. The warmer winds of summer filtered through the building, bringing the metallic tang of blood upon them. A cry pierced the air from the other room causing both of the rooms occupant to glance at a door.

“It’s kept her alive this long,” The retort rang true. The owner of the voice ran a hand through hair in a practiced maneuver, brushing it from his face. Stormy grey eyes locked onto similar colored irises, causing the woman who was meeting the gave to look to the side distracted by a particularly interesting piece of mold in the corner.

The cabin had long since been abandoned, the unkempt nature of it marking it a good place to lay low. Simplistic in only having two rooms, the main room of the cabin was currently occupied by two people. One was a man of brown hair, his clothes no different than the average commoner save two things. One was the leather vest, patched and sewn back from scraps many a time. The other was the leather and metal bracers that protected the wrists and forearms of the warrior. His eyes darted about spying threats before they could arise.

The other warrior was a woman, that much was evident from the bodice and leather that she wrapped herself in. Modesty nowadays saw her wear a shirt under the bodice, but she often picked at it, a growing sign of her coming out of a life that had shown far more skin readily. She picked at the sleeve once more before she looked back at the man, “Seth, I know you’re on a tight rope but give me something, anything. You need friends, and if you don’t start asking for help you are going to die.”

“I know a few people that would laugh at the thought of me dying…” The words snaked past his lips before he shook his head. “No, I can’t risk you falling back into that life. Not when you finally got free of it. If anything I need you to remain resolute so I can be sure I haven’t let my demons taint me.”

“That’s not a fair argument and you know it! Liliana has deserted you, Garret has given up on you, face it, you need me. This isn’t something that is going to go away just because of wishful thinking,” The woman pressed. Another cry entered the air causing the man to grumble.

“You want a reason to cry? I’ll break your thayne blessed arms if you don’t shut up,” Seth barked. He pointed at the woman before he pressed, “I am stronger than when this began. I don’t need help, least of all from someone who has only begun my path-“

“…and walked a path of power far longer and with greater understanding of the consequences. You haven’t even hit the tip of the mountain of information I know, nor the power that rests in my blood. You need help Seth Dahlios, you need someone, anyone to help you. You are fighting a God! This isn’t some warlord in the ruins of Dheathain. This isn’t some madman in Raiarae. This isn’t something that you can endure. She is wearing you down, Draug proved that point. He survived and escaped. She knows you can live through something she throws at you, and she is liable to bury you under a mound of cheap disposable cultists, just to cross one more threat off her list,” The words slapped Seth in the face who startled. He glowered at the woman some more seething in cold silence. His hands clenched and unclenched slowly, seeming to grasp for things not found easily.

Finally he managed, “Beatrix Dahlios, you are my cousin, and that means I won’t kill you. If you continue down this path, if you keep pushing that point, I swear to the gods above I’ll show you just how close to death I’m willing to push the definition of alive.”

His hand was pointed in accusation towards Beatrix when he noticed it. A glowing light that lit up the abandoned cabin, before it solidified into chains, wrapped about his wrist in a means to entrap and ensnare the wearer. The links slowly formed the light weaving within itself, glowing glyphs shining in each link before fading. His other hand also held one such chain before he sighed in defeat and slumped into a rotted chair. The wood, unaccustomed to the new burden of weight broke and left the man on the floor.

Laughter chimed in the room, before a slender hand covered a mouth and eyes sparkling with tears of joy witnessed her cousin’s predicament. She looked down upon him before she ventured, “Is that the amulet?”

“No, worse. We have company coming…” Seth managed before he roughly wrapped the chains about his bracers. The metal chimed as he looked back at the room and spoke, “Kill the captive. He doesn’t have any information. He would have spilled it by now. I have to go meet this friend and talk her out of staying before she gets herself killed trying to help.”

“No hiding?”

“Not this time, I can’t. The second these things shackled me, I was caught.”

[Karuka]

Karuka's core and thighs burned. She was used to sparring with her soldiers, she was familiar with the rigors of combat, and walking from dawn until dusk across any type of terrain hardly counted as exercise anymore. But spending half a day running out a powerful horse like Caellach - he hadn't been ready to slow down until sunset that first night - and then spending a day trotting him was no mean feat. Even a dunk in a cold stream (for both woman and horse) and a solid night's rest with Tao resting on her belly hadn't done much to alleviate the ache.

At a trot, riding the monstrous black horse was as much work as paddling a canoe. At full bore, it was more like trying to ride the rushing tide - she could hold on for dear life and hope he was paying attention when she needed him to adjust course. He wasn't always, which had added some time to their journey. Dawn had seen him calmer; he'd just needed a good run to let out that pent up energy. Even so, for the first time in her life Karuka understood why people felt the need to attach dead cow to live horse. A saddle could do the hanging on for the rider.

They reached the outer edges of Concordia in the early morning, taking the long road toward Underwood, though they skirted around the town. Karuka felt something here, a connection to an individual, a connection she hadn't felt in more than a decade. Here he was, after all that time, all that effort. Work to put him into the ground, work to come back now that he needed her help. He'd even been work the first time she'd met him; who the hell went around getting shot in the knee?

The dense woods, with their creeping brambles and thick brush, slowed huge Caellach to a walk. That gait was remarkably smooth and even; if not for the low branches that would have swept her off, Karuka could have stood on the horse's broad back without so much as a wobble.

The sun was well into its long journey west when Karuka pushed aside a thick veil of moss and she and her great black mount emerged into a small clearing. They blinked for a second; the deep woods were nearly as dark as night even in the brightest day, and the eruption of light came as a welcome surprise. Even more welcome was the figure Karuka could just make out a little way through the trees at the other side of the clearing.

He was smaller than she remembered, more like a human instead of a monstrous ghoul. He was older, more raggedy, more weary. He looked like a man at the end of his rope. She guessed he was; if not for drama revolving around her daughter, she'd have found him months before. What the delay had cost his daughter, though... That was a hard thing to think about. She'd been there for Samantha's birth. The Dahlioses were family to her.

"Y' might as well come out, Seth." Her voice rolled and lilted in a way it hadn't the last time he'd heard her speak. "Y' know I can see y'. An' I think y' owe me an apology. I took y' t' a place damn near impossible t' get into, made sure no 'un else'd be followin' without more effort than y'd be worth, putcha down with all proper rites an' rituals, an' how long didja manage t' ay stay planted? A month? A year?"

[Dissinger]

“There's a lot I could say about that. I could tell you about how a demigod decided he wanted my body shortly after you put it in the ground. I could tell you how he tormented and wore me out for months on end until he could dominate me with his magic. I could even talk about how the one person who wanted me back with every fiber of her being was the one to figure out how to break the enchantment and stole me away,” He explained.

Karuka O'Sheean, the one presence in this war between him and Cassandra Remi he would have felt guilt if she got involved. She had grown up, he could see the bulkiness that came from filling out, once the body had stretched its full height. She had been at the end of her adolescence when he last saw her, now her arms and legs had muscle on them, not the bulk and brawn of a barbarian but the sinewy ropey muscles of a mountain climber. It was slight, but the thickening of her muscles defined her age more than the look in her eyes. That stubbornness held more steel behind it than the petty obstinate opinions of a youth. This was of a person who stood for their own principles, rather than their childish naivety. There was a problem and she was bound and determined to solve it.

“Five days, my body was at rest for five days before it was taken from its grave and forced back into life. It seems that while Seth Dahlios was ready to rot in his just rewards, the world was not. Since then, I have found out much, a group of warriors called the Ixian Knights were trying to enforce some kind of peace on the world. I was told I could fight with them, and they'd keep an eye out on my Daughter as she traveled...”

His gaze grew distant at those words. A pained expression etched into the stony visage for only a moment before he shook his head, “Samantha, I was gone too long for her. When I came back, she had already grown up, already suffered for being my child. I didn't know what to do, if she was younger, if she had just began feeling the persecution for being my daughter, I could have explained to her why. I could have given her the answers she wanted, but now, she didn't care. The seeds of anger grew for too long, and the weeds of hate and bitterness choked her heart. I'm afraid for my daughter Karuka...”

He looked at the chains on his arms for a long time. He had worked through so many of his own problems with those chains restraining him. Their weight was almost comfortable to him, a burden he gladly took up. To have them back was also a bit of a boon, but he would never have admitted that to the tawny red head. The sun hung in the air between them before he turned and motioned her to follow him.

“I've given her enough time, the place should be cleaned up a bit. Lets go, she may have even started a paltry dinner...”

[Karuka]

“Five days?! Five?!” Karuka jumped from Caellach’s back to land in the spongy Concordian moss. “D’ y’ have any idea how much work goes int’ proper funerary rites? I was there three days after I laid y’ out, carvin’ th’ ogham, workin’ th’ rituals, sealin’ th’ tomb. Tao had t’ hunt his own food, I was that busy! An’ then it took me a further five days t’ work my way out of th’ wasteland where I buried yer undead ass. An’ y’ tell me now that all of that, ev’ry minute, an’ th’ whole damned year b’fore, was a complete waste of my time! I ought’ve jus’ cremated y’, sealed yer soul t’ th’ spirit world, an’ been done with it! Malchadan!”

She stalked after Seth, the horse walking along behind her without her hand on the lead rope and the fiery phoenix hopping above the pair. He’d been a tenth the size and made of pinfeathers when last Dahlios had laid eyes on him, and had only just graduated to riding on Karuka’s shoulder full time instead of being cradled in her hands or riding in her satchel. Both he and the big black beast seemed mildly unsettled by the frustrated string of Gaelic profanities that fell from the redhead’s lips.

Eventually, the horse stepped up and nudged her in the back with his nose, snorting softly to tell his current rider to calm down. She took a deep breath, patting his proud head and reining herself in. Such rage was wasted in these deep, dark woods. She couldn’t go slap the responsible being in the face, and even if she could, that wasn’t the reason she’d come.

“I knew about Sammy, Seth. She’s why I’m here. I’d’ve hunted y’ down months back if not for some troubles with my own daughter. Y’ve been skulkin’ in shadows too long, Seth, an’ now I also fear fer yer daughter. There are ay so many more ways t’ die than jus’ soul leavin’ body, an’ most of ‘em are worse. Y’ ought’ve moved much sooner than this.”

Taodoine crouched on his branch, alerting Karuka to a piece of game he’d spotted. A sharp whistle unleashed the raptor, who plunged out of sight like a speeding comet. While waiting for her bird to return, she took a good look at Seth for the first time. He looked older than his years, haggard, almost hopeless. The stoop in his posture was not the “don’t notice me” from the boat so many years ago, nor was it the ghoul’s sullen skulk. Whoever had his daughter had beaten him, badly, and even worse – immobilized him.

That had to end.

Leaves shook as Tao exploded back into view, proudly gripping a rent and bloody young pig in his powerful talons. Karu gave him a scratch and took it from him, handing the carcass to Seth. “Save back a haunch an’ th’ organs fer th’ hunter. Th’ rest is our contribution t’ dinner. Make it a wee bit less paltry.”

The pair walked past gnarled old trees and through ancient leaf litter, silent for a few moments save for the soft clanking of Seth’s chains. They’d been bestowed on him while he was a Hex Ghoul, by some gods (as he told it), for the sole purpose of not allowing him to either harm her or flee from her. While in effect, they got heavier the further away from him she was. With her right beside him, he’d barely feel the weight.

“I ran int’ th’ Ixians when first I got back t’ C’rone. Wee Timmy from th’ boat’s one of ‘em now…not so tiny anymore though, is he? He an’ one of Sei’s daughters invited me back t’ th’ castle, an’ I was asked t’ join. He tried t’ sell it as a fam’ly, a safe place t’ keep my daughter while I was out doin’ what needed t’ be done. But…” a frown marred her golden face for a moment. “There’s somethin’ ay foul brewin’ in that castle, an’ th’ last thing I want t’ happen is fer it t’ erupt while I’m away an’ Taische is there. They don’t seem t’ be so much th’ heroes they want t’ paint themselves as, either.”

[Dissinger]

The Hex Magi came to a halt as he glowered under his hat, “Moved sooner? You think I've been idle all this time? You think you know me well enough to say that I did nothing about this situation?” A hand clenched into fist before the chain uncoiled and sank into the loamy soil, guarding the ward against its servant's anger. He looked at her before he spoke, “I hid because if I didn't more people would die. The monster that has my daughter was more than willing to use Samantha as black mail. I couldn't let that happen. I was used like that once, and those nights still haunt my waking moments. If you thought the boat was bad, then you wanted me to go into hiding, away from everyone and everything.”

He felt the fire in his chest burn to embers. It wasn't until then that the chains went slack and with a tug and a practiced flick of his wrist the chain was in his hand and slowly being coiled about his wrist. The two moved through the forest in silence for a moment before he continued, “The Cult of Blessed Torture couldn't grab Samantha while she was traveling, so they waited for her to come visit me at Castle Ixia. Spiders at the walls, rapists and murderers in the halls. A giant savaged the courtyard before the largest of the spiders ripped a wall off the castle. Death was in that place, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. I was powerless Karuka O'sheean. For one night, all my magic, all my killing prowess, every ounce of what made me who I was, was useless.”

It hurt to say those words.

“Cassandra Remi...” The name was uttered with an unfettered malice. The words heavily spat out, “I confronted her, and she knew I could have killed her. She made the only play available to someone who knew they would die if they took no drastic measure. She had stolen Samantha, and held her captive, she told me that I couldn't touch her or her family so long as she had Samantha. She then told me she'd have work for me down the road. The problem is that it is so very hard to give someone work, when they aren't around to receive it. I left the Knights at that moment. I haven't looked back often since. Liliana left me over it, I haven't seen her in months. I gave up everything to find my daughter, even my humanity, what little was left, is slowly fading Karuka.”

He looked at the girl before he moved into what was left of the old shack. A pill of logs resting beside the house, wood rotted and covered in moss. It was obvious this wasn't a home, merely a thin protection from the elements. He looked back at her before he spoke, “I know what fate lies before my daughter. Cassandra will try to poison her, will try to get her to become her blood. That's why I am letting what little good in me rot away, because if daddy's little girl is going to become a monster, I will be the bigger monster.”

“One day they will kill me, and hopefully by then, she will be strong enough a monster that she can defend herself. No parent should outlive their child Karuka, surely a mother as yourself can understand that sentiment,” Seth offered. Beatrix Dahlios finally moved in from the house, an old rag wiping red liquid from her hands as Seth spoke up, “It clean?”

“As this place gets, you live in a cave Seth,” The red head looked at the girl before she raised an eyebrow at Seth. Her mouth opened before he spoke up;

“No, she's not. Now put a pot on to boil, its going to get cold anyways so the stove should be heated up as is. We have a few guests today I figure we can make a paltry soup with what we have. He phoenix should be fine, it gets the leftovers of the carcass and a flank.”

“You saying I'm doing the cooking?”

Seth snorted, “I don't trust you that much Cousin, I just can trust you to boil water.”

[Karuka]

"De réir aon chumhacht nÃ*os mó, tá tú ar leathcheann!" The words fell from Karuka's mouth before she could bite them back, utterances in her native tongue to express the depth of her frustration and disgust with him, even if he couldn't grasp her meaning. "If th' only options I had were t' watch my daughter die physically or languish while her soul was slowly crushed an' corrupted, then she'd damn well die knowin' her mother was comin' t' get her an' rain hell on the ones who'd taken her. I'd rather us both die in a wash of blood than let anyone take her an' teach her that her mother didn't love her enough t' even try."

Her eyes flashed when Seth opened his mouth, her shoulders dropping and her body turning in response to his arms tensing and the chains digging into the ground again. "D' y' think fer one minute that's not what wee Sammy's hearin' day in an' day out? An' here y' skulk! Deontas dom foighne!"

They took a minute to calm down, their breaths mixing with the rustle of leaves. When the chains released the Demon once more, the redhead ran her fingers through her hair. "Y' know me well enough t' know how well th' Sight works. So y' know that if I'd Seen y' able t' handle this, I'd still be half a world away, raisin' my child in safety instead of throwin' her whole world int' chaos. But damn me, yer as close t' fam'ly as I've got, so here I am."

She huffed out a sigh and looked at Seth's actual blood relative. He'd already dragged her into the family business, whether she was just fulfilling expectations or if he'd dragged her along in the wake of his melodrama. He had a habit of that, she knew first hand. It got worse when he had no one to smack him up the back of his skull and point him in the direction he needed to go. She'd become very good at that more than a decade before, more out of necessity than anything. "Karuka O'Sheean," she introduced herself after a long moment. "If he's told y' anything about me, he's told y' about a past that's long since gone."

Her fingers twitched at her side, sending vines slithering over the hard clay and loam. Caellach snorted and stamped, teeth baring at what appeared to be a hundred slender serpents. Karuka hadn't regained her magic when she'd buried Seth, nor had she been very powerful when they'd first met. If there was anything he needed to know now, it was that she'd grown past her limitations in the decade they'd spent apart.

Point made, Karuka reached over to the horse, rubbing his broad shoulder briefly. "I'll be back in maybe an hour. This guy needs t' find some grazin', an' if y' can't scrape t'gether a good meal in Concordia in th' summer, of all places an' seasons, y' don't have much business livin' in th' wilds. I'll bring back more'n plenty." With that, she and the beast stepped into the trees. Taodoine looked down at Seth, clacking his beak impatiently. He was hungry, and knew who had the food.


~*~*~

Walking past the old, gnarled trees, with the sweet scents of flowers and the musty scents of leaf litter in her nose and the feel of dirt and moss beneath her toes let Karuka reach for the stillness in her soul. Instead of getting angry that Seth was still a stubborn, mopey bastard, she needed to think of what to do so he didn't end up a stubborn, broken bastard. She knew his terror. Of course she did; she had a child who delighted in getting into trouble. But she also knew that the death of Samantha Dahlios was more inevitable by the hour.

She let the horse guide their wanderings, picking up herbs, vegetables, berries, mushrooms, and even the occasional root when Caellach paused for a minute to eat. It didn't take her long to gather enough to feed all three of them for several days; it was the season of plenty and the forest was generous. She was only a few minutes from turning them back when the proud black head lifted and the sharp ears perked up. Every muscle on the horse twitched eagerly, and he looked back at Karuka, half demanding that she fulfill her pledge to him, half asking if he'd met his half of their deal.

She pushed her dark red braid over her shoulder, turning from some sweet summer plums she'd been considering. "Didja ay find yer friend, then? Well, go on an' get 'im."

The big beast bent his head to her, granting her permission to rub his nose one last time. She used the opportunity to tuck his lead rope into the simple halter she'd tied for him, and he turned and ran for the person he'd heard the second she let go. A little curious, the mage followed the thundering hoof beats. Just who commanded so much love and loyalty from that wild, mighty horse?

[Storm Veritas]

Surviving was easy enough, but it didn’t take long for Storm to prove himself no survivalist.


Day 1

The first day was easy enough; wandering through the prairie on his broken down, poor old horse. He felt bad for the old stallion, as “stallion” was its name through technicality only. It was slow, and labored, and drifted right like a wagon with a warped axel. The sun beat them down as it hung high; the wizard didn’t think much of it as he sank deeper into his bottle of whiskey. It did a fine job of killing time, and filling his belly with a warm glow. The rocky nature of the old horse’s gait was also eased by the haze that Storm had drank himself into. The first surprise came after the adventurer had tied off the horse for the night, and popped a tent beside the makeshift fire he had made on the plains.

Holy shit, when did it get so cold out here?!

The wind cut through the two of them like a knife, chilling Storm and the still unnamed horse to the bone. The underfed beast continued to chew it’s way around the grasses, trying to build heat from within. Desperate, Storm pulled down his tent, laying it over the shivering animal as a blanket, pulling him closer to the fire. Veritas bolstered the blaze with his own electric proficiencies, although the steady wind consistently ran from them, taking much of the fire’s heat with it.

“Come on, you poor bastard. Hold yourself tight in there and hang on; a few more hours to the sun and we’ll warm you right up.”

The fire was blasting, but the wind still howled, shrieked and cut. He was unfamiliar to this pendulous swing in temperature, and wished there were a better way to keep the harmless horse away from nature’s wrath. Tired, weary, and cold, Storm huddled close to the animal, struggling to warm it as he drifted to sleep.


Day 2

He struggled to rise with the sun, his aging bones feeling rickety. His breath also smelled of an oaken death; his head heavy and slow. Surveying the makeshift campsite, he was disgusted by the poor upkeep. He had drunkenly picked a spot that was too open-air, explaining the cold, in lieu of tree cover less than three hundred yards from him. The cold air had pulled at his burned skin, a singeing, brutal pain that would redden his skin for some time. He felt his face to be dry, skin nearly cracking.

Maybe a fathom away… Who the hell knows…

The horse had survived, but was clearly aching. For as weary as Storm felt, the animal looked terrible. He was cold, kneeling, and took heavy prodding simply to stand. After cleaning the area, and bringing the horse several heaps of tall grass (which he picked at), Veritas opted to walk the pitiful thing forward for the day.

“Come on, you lazy shit. I feel awful too. We can stop at the first stream to drink up.”

Hang in there, buddy.

The morning transitioned from cold and brutal to pleasant, and as the sun lifted the veil over the meadows, Storm found tree cover becoming more prevalent. It would cut down on the wind tonight, he wagered. A few emboldened animals were popping their heads out from behind trees and rodent holes. Storm blasted a few squirrel-looking things with his electric prowess, quickly field dressing the miniature monsters and firing up a protein-rich lunch. When they reached water, the suffering horse drank quite a bit. They moved slowly forward, the limp in his beast’s gait becoming ever more pronounced.

There were no humans in sight; a bizarre phenomena for the Corone that he remembered. In fairness, he rarely had left the luxuries of Radasanth (or at least Concordia). His campsite was more meticulously prepared for the night, a few more swamp rats exploded at the business end of lightning strikes. It still brought a smile to his face, the magic. Storm also learned that even a hungry horse won’t eat vermin meat, although they will devour about any grass that a person can walk by.

“Not so cold tonight, big fella. Tomorrow you have to earn your keep. Tomorrow, I ride again.”

[Storm Veritas]

Day 3

He awoke peacefully with the sun peering through the tree cover, a cool, orange glow covering what had graduated to a full-blown forest. A long stretch – he could get used to this – and he sat up, listening to a few bony crackles at his knees and hips. Old joints had lost their oil, it seemed. He rose to urinate, speaking back to his lone companion, still laying in the tall grass.

“Alright buddy. Time to move. Better have slept well. None of that sore-legs bullshit today from you.”

Finishing his piss, he re-tied himself and pivoted. He turned to his horse, and froze.

No…

The pitiful horse was gone; he had died in his sleep. There was no look of horror about him, no signs of struggle. Storm would later struggle with himself, considering if he had missed signs that the horse needed help. There certainly were although with his lackluster knowledge of this area, it was unlikely he could find any treatment or remedy to prevent the passing.

Shit. I’m sorry, old man. I’m so sorry.

It was interesting that he cared more for the sad old horse than for many men he had also put in the earth, but the horse had never wronged him. He strolled about the campsite, finding a large flat rock with which he could dig. An hour or two later, he had managed three unsuccessful tombs. The trees were too thick; their root systems intertwined too shallow and disallowed any final resting place for the sad, passed animal.

He took time, covering the horse in grasses and saying a few sentimental words over the fallen beast. It was a tragic thing, to know his role by stupidity in the whole thing.

And where now? Three days west of the port, minimum, and that’s if you pick a straight heading. Not a good God-damned idea where the girl is. She could be ANYWHERE.

He smiled morosely over the dead animal, considering an earlier conversation which hadn’t elicited much response from his horse. “Adventurers adventure”, he had stated so plainly; it sounded just as stupid here as it had before.

Storm pressed on, and as he set up camp for the third night, a part of him wondered if he shouldn’t have taken some meat from the dead animal. Respect had taken the upper hand to pragmatism; the old man was losing it.


Day 4

He had certainly not had a straight path, but had found a place which felt like Underwood. The trees hung lower to the ground here, weeping willows of deep red and browns. Root systems here would have been impassable for the wounded horse; perhaps it was mercy that left Storm a lone pedestrian.

”Lone” is the operative word.

It hadn’t taken long for the extrovert to miss having company. Even though his horse didn’t talk back, it kept his sanity at bay to speak aloud at something, hearing his thoughts and keeping his alacrity. There wasn’t much of a heading here; Storm looked for large structures and led directionally toward darkness. Karuka tended to find herself in spaces where trouble lurked, after all.

It had grown humid, and his stomach started to yelp at him. The little forest creatures had gone scarce, and the few berries he could scavenge did little to stave off hunger. The roots – ones that looked much like what Karuka had cooked for him in Dheathain – tasted like absolute shit when eaten raw. He apparently wasn’t –that- hungry.

There was a braying up ahead. The brush was moving quite a bit, and he heard a braying from a big black horse that kicked his hooves. Based on the size and musculature of the horse, Storm found it to be impossible, but then the great animal had a flair for the dramatic.

Atilla!

It appeared his luck was changing.

[Karuka]

Karuka heard the horse stop running long before she caught sight of him again. Whoever he was greeting was hidden behind his massive bulk, but the finely-chiseled head was bent down and the animal's body language was relaxed. Considering the charge that had met her, the redhead figured that against all odds, she'd already fulfilled her promise to the beast. A small part of her was sad; Caellach was a magnificent animal, and she'd miss him.

"Atilla, you traitor." Karuka's steps quickened over the rough roots when she heard the voice addressing the horse. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Carryin' me." Her bright blue eyes sparkled with a laugh she didn't let out when Storm stepped around the horse to see her. While the outdoors was as much home to her as a finely-appointed apartment was to him, the reverse was not true, and her lover's days as a lone traveler had not been kind to him. The usually impeccably groomed wizard was scraggly and disheveled, deep bags weighed down his eyes from poor rest, and his poor pale skin looked painfully red. He should have come with her.

"Oh, y' look a mess." She came the rest of the way to him, running a hand over the mighty horse's side."I was wonderin' who this guy was so eager t' find again, but I guess he could smell y' on me after he got close an' figured I was his best chance t' see y' again."

When she reached the horse's ears, she buried her fingers in his mane to scratch him. "Is Atilla yer real name? Are y' a Roman slayin' horse?" Atilla bobbed his head proudly and snorted, bringing a fresh smile to Karuka's face. "Well, any Roman slayin' horse is a fine horse t' me."

Her lips met Storm's briefly, but she pulled quickly back. "Agh. I love you, but either grow this out or shave it off. Bein' halfway b'tween havin' a beard an' not doesn't work." Four days worth of stubble felt like coarse sandpaper against her skin, and while Karuka was by no means delicate, she didn't enjoy having her face rubbed off when she went to kiss her lover.

"C'mon. Since yer here, I'll introduce y' t' th' friend I came t' see. We'll get some food int' y' an' see what I can't do fer yer burns." In a world that often favored fair skin far more heavily than dark skin, Karu didn't usually see advantages to being brown, but the difference in his complexion from when he'd left her at the pier to that moment was a stark example.

Atilla snorted and flattened his ears when she reached to hop onto his back, but she shot the horse a glare. "We've ay had this talk. B'sides, he doesn't know where we're goin'." Atilla shook his neck, still protesting a little, but allowed the redhead to leap onto his back and grip his mane. He eased a little when his real rider hopped up behind her, and turned back toward the run-down hut from before. Leaves churned beneath Atilla's purposeful trot, and both of his riders had to duck beneath the occasional low-hanging branch. While Storm's nag wouldn't have been able to navigate the rough ground, the well-fed stallion flowed through the trees like a river of night.

Since the distance was short and the way Storm's arms wrapped loosely around her waist and his body sagged against hers told her the depth of his fatigue, they didn't talk until they broke into a small clearing that featured a flimsy hovel. Outside were a man and a woman, with a fiery bird eating his hard-earned meal off to the side.

"Right. Storm Veritas, meet Seth Dahlios an'..."

"Beatrix Dahlios," the brunette introduced herself.

"An' Beatrix. Seth, Beatrix, this's Storm."

It was probably not an introduction the two men were expecting.

[Storm Veritas]

The first genuine smile spread its way across the wizard’s face in days as Attila greeted him by pressing his big, black snout into the chest of the tired traveler. Storm rubbed the massive, bulging jaw muscles of the usually wild beast, feeling him stomp his hooves with contentment.

“Attila, you big bastard. What a sight for sore eyes. I should have known you and Karuka would be damned near magnets together out here. You’ve always had good taste for such a royal pain in the ass.”

Karuka was always a sight for sore eyes. Tall and graceful with an athletic build that disguised her incredible magic, she had had a beauty matched only by her strength and skill. Her intelligence was striking, although well hidden behind her absurd, oft adorable accent. He kissed her firmly and unapologetically, despite their new company.

And what f*cking company you’ve found!

The name itself was familiar, but Storm’s memory had proven itself less than totally reliable. Seth Dahlios had long been on the short list upon Althanas, one of those “beware of, watch for” type-monikers that is generally associated with a particularly frightening list of associated crimes. They musn’t have worked together before, Storm wagered, as there could be no mistaking the bizarre individual before him. The chains about the wrists of Dahlios reminded Storm of the slaves he had once freed upon Raiera. Like Karuka, his clothing left a lot to be desired.

Why do you still carry the chains, pal? What's your particular flavor of damage?

Beside Seth was another beauty, this one a brunette who looked a little less fierce than O'Sheean. Clearly the morose traveler had a fine taste in ladies, and Storm wagered that he was beginning to detect a pattern for the disturbed in Karuka as well. Were these two friends? Lovers? The lightning manipulator was surprised that he didn’t feel a stronger pull of jealousy, but his curiosity felt well-founded. After all, the dynamic of this group seemed a bit unbalanced.

Storm raked his fingers back across his head, attempting to look a bit less disheveled as the aristocrat in him took over. He stood as tall as he could – feeling old ribs crack at the stretch of standing tall – and smiled with a natural grace. He was a politician at the core, immediately attempting to make the group feel welcome and avoid any unnecessary awkwardness.

He took the lady’s hand, kneeling as he kissed her middle knuckle. He smiled again as he stood; she was clearly not accustomed to such a gesture. Without delay, he began to address the group.

“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Dahlios. I am charmed by your presence.” He was careful not to linger; he didn’t want either Karuka or the infamous Seth to take a fresh dose of jealousy at this greeting. He stood across from Seth, the looming monster, and extended a hand.

“Of course, Seth Dahlios. Your reputation certainly precedes you; if the enemy of my enemy is my friend, then we could be blood relatives at this point. If you travel with Karuka, that’s good enough for me!”

It was true; there were enough shared foes the two had battled separately to hopefully form some semblance of a kinship. Damon Kaosi. Cyrus. Lorenor. That goddamned Letho.

A second hung as an hour as Storm awaited a response from the shackled stranger. He had no intention of disrupting the party, nor did he have any intention of leaving.

[Dissinger]

Seth stared at the hand for what seemed like forever. Seth’s eyes drank in the detail of the man before him; his boots were polished and clean, as neat as could be. A city boy, who seemed out of place in the forest about him, and yet another liability thrown at his feet. The distant songs of birds and bleating of various insects seemed to fill the air more than the words of the thief as he came to his conclusion. When Seth finally spoke, the word came out as a tattered forced thick abomination of trade speak, “Pleasure.”

He had met many people, especially of the variety to betray him. To the mind of the Lavinian Demon it was only polite not to kill Karuka’s companion, but his manners stopped there. He didn’t know Storm Veritas beyond stories and while he could often rely on those stories, he was decidedly not keen on doing so. Most of the stories spoke of a man scrambling to be the top of the heap, willing to climb over people in any manner he deemed fit, and of what Seth heard, there wasn’t much that he wouldn’t do for a quick boost in stature.

He looked over at his cousin who seemed to giggle at the chivalrous display before he spoke, “Get the map ready for after dinner. We have preparations to make.”

“No more hiding?”

“She won’t allow it, now go, I have to talk to these two alone cousin.”

Beatrix gave him an annoyed gaze before she sighed and went back into the room, not bothering to hide her annoyance at the order. Seth let it go as one of her rebellions. She was still trying to find her feet after snapping out of the dream state that Hex Magic often induced in its users. Overwhelming their sense of Self to the point of erasing it, Beatrix had to learn to function as a person again after years of doing as she pleased with whomever she pleased.

It took a while before he looked back at the two before he challenged, “Does he even realize how big of a shit fest he stepped in?” The question was rudely directed to the Red Head before him who seemed to arch an eyebrow at the brazen question.

She gestured to the man before she spoke, “e’s a big boy, can take care o’ ‘imself.”

Seth sighed before he spoke, “Well then, let me explain a couple of things Mr. Veritas.” He tried to hide his frustrations behind a wall of impassive speech, but his fingers twitched whenever they got close to his daggers. It was a tic, a nervous one at that, the desire to play with his knife, but he was determined not to rely on it for now. “My daughter is missing, I have a clue as to where she might be, but I can’t determine the exact position. A while back a demigod known as Cassandra Remi walked up to Castle Ixia and took her along with a few other things. I know roughly where her cult is hiding but the final camp, the one she is using as her temple, eludes me. Maybe Karuka can give help where my magic has fallen flat, because she is definitely hiding it from any attempts at magically scrying.”

You have unwittingly joined the war, and until I’m sure you’re on my side, I am going to be covering my ass as much as possible. It’s nothing personal, but even my friends from Lavinya have turned on me during this time, and I’m not keen on getting any more knives in my back,” Explanation done he turned to Karuka before he spoke, “Now, I believe the waters come to a boil, did you find anything to spice up the soup or is it going to be a bland stew?”

At least he was upfront and polite about his rudeness.

[Karuka]

Karuka rolled her eyes at Seth and handed over the bag of vegetables, mushrooms, and herbs. "I dunno if y' noticed during th' year we traveled t'gether as ravenous undead cannibal an' 'is caretaker, but I could find ways t' feed myself an' th' little ball of pinfeathers however harsh th' land was. Findin' food in Concordia in a season of plenty's almos' cheatin'. I assume y' can figure out how t' make some food, if y' don't trust yer cousin t' cook an' neither of y' is starvin' right now."

She walked away, breaking off a few leaves here and a patch of moss there, then picked up a large, flat stone and a smaller, round stone to grind them together. This wasn't edible, it was medicine. Storm would be peeling something awful in a day or two if she didn't head off the burn; with proper care, it wouldn't be so bad.

"I've known Seth since I was sixteen," she explained to her lover. "Saved each other's lives a few times durin' a slaver raid on a boat we were both on. A few months later, I was up in Berevar in th' depths of winter an' stumbled upon a house. I was half frozen an' pretty sure I was seein' things, but I knocked t' ask fer entrance. In that house, I midwifed when his daughter was born an' helped out th' next few days. I learned that he'd been killed. Fair enough; he'd not been on a good path when I met 'im."

Karuka looked at her paste, then added a small splash of water. "A few years later, I was walkin' alone in Radasanth at night, mindin' my own business, an' was set upon somethin' so fast I didn't know what hit me. When I woke up, there he was, movin' dead. He claimed some sort of strange divinity had slapped those chains on 'im an' bound him t' me. He was s'posed t' protect me, I was s'posed t' find a way t' put him in th' ground. Took us a year t' do that. It obviously didn't stick."

She got up and went over to Storm, gathering the medicine on her fingertips. "This'll sting a second, then go cold fer about a minute, an' then go a little numb. It'll help with th' healin'. Anyway, Seth's as close t' a brother as I have in this world, right down t' th' part where occasionally I want t' strangle him. I haven't seen his daughter since she was a few days old, but she's part of my fam'ly, too, an' if I can help her, I need t' try. If y' want t' come, I'll welcome yer help. If y'd rather not come, I hope y'd be willin' t' watch Taische a few days, until we're back."

Done with the medicine, Karu gave the tall mage a quick kiss and then looked over at Seth. "Storm's not weak, Seth. Y' aren't th' strongest just because y' can throw curses at people an' stick knives in 'em better'n almost anyone. We're not th' weakest jus' b'cause we aren't you. Getcher head out of yer ass a second an' breathe th' fresh air."

The redhead wiped her hands on a rag; her fingers were already going numb from applying the sunburn salve. She hoped it was working as well on Storm. "A fae in Talmhaidh recognized me as a known associate of yers. He said t' get in touch with a woman in Radasanth, who has knowledge of where wee Sammy is. I could try t' See where she is, but if th' wards up are powerful enough, I won't be able t' get through. I figure th' lead is worth a shot, an' y' can teach Taische how t' use daggers a bit while we're in th' city."

Storm shifted; he fought with daggers and could easily teach Karuka's daughter, but she caught him with a smile. "Y' already taught her lightning. He's got t' have somethin' too, or he'll get jealous."

[Storm Veritas]

Storm couldn’t quite respond to Seth before Karuka chimed in. His own silver tongue was interrupted by her pragmatism, and it likely saved a fight. She yammered on a bit in her own sweet twangy-tone, and fashioned up some interesting and odd little paste that she rubbed immediately on his burning skin. It burned quite a bit instantly, however Veritas wouldn’t tip his hand and simply breathed a bit harder through his nose. Listening carefully to the two, Storm considered his options carefully.

So I stick here and get stuck with that paranoid sonofabitch, or I take off and try to haul ass… right back where I came? And babysit Taische? Who the hell does she think I am?

And I don’t suppose this brooding, undead psychopath will just let me trot off with Attila… at least not without a fight.

He had made up his mind; there was no chance he could simply leave and abandon adventure and potentially glory. That didn’t mean he’d make it easy. It was rare that discretion took the better half of valor, and here was no exception. Addressing the infamous villain directly, Storm injected a touch of trademark smarm into his tone.

“Settle down, twinkletoes. I don’t know what you think I’m out here for, but it’s not to hunt some chain-wearing lunatic. I’m sure you can also imagine that there’s not a hell of a lot of profit to be made from trying to resale that threadbare vest or those moth-infested shitkickers. Not for nothing, but your fashion sense sucks for a dead man.”

He could tell as soon as he’d finished that he’d probably pushed things a bit too far. Karuka had that glare about her that he had just done a decidedly dumb shit type of thing.

Oh, fer crissakes. Fine, I can play nice, too.

A deep breath, and Storm squatted on a large log that had probably taken it’s death-dive years ago. It was thick, and dry, and felt fantastic as he got off his feet. Looking down at his sore feet, he laughed a bit out loud to break the tension he had so easily created.

“Alright, alright, I’m done for now. We’ll find your girl, and this Remy broad, too. Despite your ridiculous paranoia, you don’t have to worry about me. Karuka always tends to get me in trouble, but she doesn’t travel with total shitheads.”

Ahem.

“… well, maybe none except me.” He laughed again, although Storm couldn’t tell if he was entertaining anyone else.

“So we roll back up to Radasanth, and then bounce to the castle, wherever the blue hell that might be. Fair warning, when I hear ‘castle’ I think ‘souvenirs’; as in expensive weapons and jewels and other such emotional keepsakes. We’ll consider that my wage.”

Standing, he grimaced as his knees and back crackle-crunched at the stiffness that his joints had acquired. It was a reminder that he was getting older, slower, and weaker. It was a reminder he would have been much better off to have heeded.